Baby: Species Intervention #6609

The year is 1929 and poor farm girl Jeannette ‘Netty’ Elizabeth Smith has run away from Robert Doyle, her fine upstanding husband, successful lawyer and newly appointed county magistrate. Or is he? Netty has spent years as a prisoner in her own home suffering sexual, mental and physical abuse before she manages to escape back to her old farm. Since the death of her parents, the farm is hers and it’s the only place she has to go.

Netty’s story unfolds as she travels to her now-ramshackle farm, walks into a favorite childhood cave and discovers a strange creature in need of healing. She falls in love with it and, names it Baby, but soon realizes Baby has some strange powers. They survive the winter and Netty meets a handsome man named Wil. All the while, she lives in fear that Robert will discover her whereabouts and drag her back to Norristown. Unfortunately, Robert has plans of his own and they don’t include taking Netty back to Norristown.

An interesting well-written science fiction story, however, it leaves many things unanswered. Where is Baby actually from? What was his mission? Was it benevolent or sinister? What happened to his offspring after he crashed on Earth? One lesson learned, though, is that revenge is sometimes best when it is long and drawn out, as the foe must endure years of looking over a shoulder waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Delicious!

Carol Conley